Big Brother
by vegemite
Summary: Luke defends his sister, but he doesn't know it. PreANH


**Title:** Big Brother

**Author:** vegemite

**Rating:** T (could possibly be K, but I'm being safe)

**Summary:** Luke defends his sister, but he doesn't know it. Pre-ANH

**Disclaimer:** I wouldn't even want to own it. Too much responsibility. 'Cept then I could make Boba Fett live and Jar Jar die and Obi-Wan and Padmé get together... (goes into dream world)

**A/N:** I wanted to step out of my usual romantic/angsty dribblings, and this is what you get for it. I found out about all the characters reading old books from the '70s, but I may have changed their personalities a bit because I couldn't find much about them. Oh, and the title is NOT meant in a scary 1984/George Orwell kind of way. Gah.

**Big Brother**

"Class, insert the Alderaan chip into your datapad and select government. Alderaan is intricate yet simple in its system, The leader of the planet is called the Viceroy or Viceress and rules until death, at which time their firstborn inherits leadership, after previously serving in the senate. Now, this is different from planets we've studied before in that..."

Luke Skywalker's head snapped up. The 15-year-old rubbed his eyes in an attempt to wake himself, but he could already see that the professor had made a mental note and he would get a concerned yet utterly pathetic lecture about how lucky he was to be there sometime in the near future.

He knew it was true, too. Uncle Owen wanted him at home, but Luke knew the only way to get the Imperial Academy was by staying in school as long as possible. Unfortunately, that required taking this class on Galactic Politics.

"Mr. Skywalker, would you please read the section entitled 'The First Family?'" As quickly as he could Luke found the section, silently cursing the teacher.

"The First Family of Alderaan can be traced back at least 1,000 years. The current Viceroy is Bail Organa, who inherited the position from his father, Jocha. Next in line is Organa's daughter, Princess Leia." Gods, this was boring! He finished the section as quickly as he could, because hopefully he would be able to daydream about the speeder his uncle was going to let him use this year during harvest. At least then he wouldn't have to let this useless knowledge set in. When was he ever going to have anything to do with Alderaan anyway?

The holo of the royal family caught his eye. It had been altered so dead members of the family were pictured with live ones. There was Bail, Jocha, Jocha's wife, and many little children produced by Jocha's offspring. One little dark-haired girl caught Luke's eye. The caption said it was the little heir to the throne herself. She looked about eleven or twelve, and her head was adorned with many different braids and curls.

She looked so...familiar. Luke was sure he'd seen her before, but they'd never studied Alderaan very closely. Maybe she looked like someone he knew...

He kept staring at the holo until class was over. Force. Homework again - twelve questions on the reading. He decided it might be wise to take the pad home and reread it if he wanted to be able to answer the questions. He managed to dodge the professor and meet with the boys at the back of the school.

"Hey, Wormie," Tank yelled. Luke silently groaned. He would never live down the day a sandworm had crawled into his lunch container. He would've been fine if he'd just squashed it, but instead he'd dug a hole in the ground for the little fellow and placed him back in the sand. Tank had been calling him Wormie for six years.

"Shut up," Biggs said, pushing the boy roughly. "Come on, Luke!" Biggs was sixteen and had already owned this speeder for a year. Luke jumped into the back, squeezed between Deak and Windy, and they shot away. No one ever talked on these trips in speeders because they were too busy keeping sand from spitting in their eyes. It wasn't long until they reached the Tosche station, but Luke didn't feel like messing around with the finicky electronic pool table so he let the others play and was content to watch. He actually managed to go ten minutes without saying something stupid. Then he reached into his pocket and grabbed the datapad.

"Hey, you guys know anyone from Alderaan?" He turned on the pad and found the picture of Princess Leia again.

"I think my father does business with Alderaanians sometimes. Why?" Biggs kept his concentration on his shot.

"I--I just have this funny feeling about the princess. I'm sure I recognize her from somewhere, but I can't place her..."

"Lemme see." Windy grabbed the pad out of Luke's hands. He looked at the holo for a few seconds. "You musta seen her on the holonet some time." He gave the machine back.

"You got the hots for the princess, Wormie?" Ttank taunted. Luke just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. I love twelve year olds...woah!"

"What?" Biggs asked sourly, finally shooting and missing.

"She's got the same birthdate as me. Same year, same day."

"Huh. That is weird."

"Stupid holo must be a coupla years old," Windy decided, looking over Luke's shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Face it. You guys are meant for each other." Tank hit the side of the table and the display stabilized for a few seconds. He aimed his cue.

"I don't know what you're smirking about," Biggs said as Tank shot and Deak punched in a few numbers into the scoreboard, a function that had once been automated but had long since become the responsibility of the players. "If Luke bags a princess he's got it made. Money, power, and being waited on hand and foot." Tank looked a little lost for a second, then regained his former scornfulness.

"Yeah, _if_ he can bag her. A stuffy, prissy spoiled brat."

"Of course he can! He's got the wholesome farm boy look, sparkling white teeth, and a killer personality."

"Guys!" Luke finally butt in. "Can we stop, please? She's not even hot."

"That's 'cause she's twelve in that holo. I bet she's hot now. Probably got big jugs." Windy grinned and Luke was horrified. This little girl, a princess, and Windy was talking about her chest! He looked to the other, but they seemed to agree with the young man--except for Deak, of course, who was as introverted as usual. After all, Windy _was_ usually right when it came to girls.

"Sick! You guys are all sick! You pervs!"

"C'mon Luke, you know it's true."

"Absolutely not!" He turned off the pad and put it away. "Completely sick."

Biggs laughed. "You're too uptight. But what else is new?" They finished the game, then Biggs drove them all home. Luke yelled a greeting to his aunt as he entered but went straight to his room. Once again he pulled out the datapad and scrolled to Princess Leia's holo. There was something so strangely familiar about his face, but he was sure he'd never see it before. And their birthrates on the same day! It was a little eerie, but what was he going to do about it? There was no one else to ask--his aunt and uncle avoided questions about anything but Tatooine, and he wasn't going to talk to the government professor.

He didn't' know why he felt the need to defend her honor or whatever either. Biggs had been giving him a compliment by saying he thought Luke could get a princess, although it was probably meant more as an argument against. But...no. Not this princess, and not that way.

Luke pushed the datapad aside, cleared his mind, and began his other homework.

Four years later, when Ben told him that the girl asking for his help was Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, Luke couldn't help remembering the picture of her as a preteen, marveling at the incredible coincidence and noting that Windy had been right--she was, indeed, beautiful. 


End file.
